Photographs and Memories
by BaronessBlixen
Summary: AU after 07x06 "She's Gotta Have It". Joe figures out a way to help Helen deal with the fire that destroyed everything. Pure fluff. Short one-shot.


**A/N**: Has nothing to do with the Jim Croce song (although I love it to pieces). Enjoy!

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As night fell upon the day, Joe lay awake in bed. Helen was a bundle of blankets next to him and it hurt him just to look at her. However, she slept peacefully. At least he hoped she had pleasant dreams and wasn't haunted by the darkness – or her burnt house. Here they were sleeping in his bed. His bed. Unlike her, Joe hadn't lost everything in the fire Brian and Casey had caused. All the while he had felt bubbling anger upon looking at his brother and his sister-in-law. His anger had eventually turned into something dull; a scar that only hurt now and then. And it almost made him miss what Helen was going through. When she'd started buying every unnecessary knick-knack she could find, he hadn't understood. Yet. He did now and it killed him. Just looking at her made him hurt all over. Most of all it was the injustice of it. Helen had lost everything and why? Because of a sister she had taken in despite her ungratefulness and because of his brother, who would never be responsible.

"I'll find a way to make it up to you somehow," he whispered against her messy hair. Helen didn't even stir, but he hoped maybe his words would find their way into her unconsciousness, "I promise you that much, Helen. I love you."

His eyes grew heavy and he finally felt the cloak of sleep settle over him. Shortly before he fell asleep, he saw himself and Helen as children. The big girl with that even bigger smile and himself with his boyish grin. A plan carefully formed in his sleepy brain and he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

Somehow life was still the same. That thought rattled Helen the most. Because part of her life was lost. There were no traces left of Helen Chappell. She had turned into Helen Hackett and while that had always been her dream, she had never meant to let go of everything she'd had before. Deep down she knew that buying things wouldn't change anything. Nothing could fill the void the fire had left inside her. To her own surprise, she no longer blamed Casey and Brian. After all, it had been an accident. Still, the loss was profound and sometimes late at night she would wake up and wonder… who was she? Was she still the same person? She felt as if someone had stolen her memories. There were still in her, she figured, but she lacked the proof.

"Hey honey." Joe appeared at the counter grinning like a Cheshire cat. He had been acting strange the last couple of weeks, so she was prepared for anything.

"Hi." She replied hesitantly. She knew him long enough after all to know when something was up. Once upon a time she had fallen in love with his smile, but she didn't let it fool her.

"I have a surprise for you."

"Oh?" Helen stopped wiping the lunch counter and just looked at her husband and best friend. She loved surprises – and of course he knew that.

"It took me a while to get it finished and I hope you like it. I know it's not the same and I know it's not enough… but I tried my best. I tried to get as much in as possible." His words confused Helen and she still wasn't sure what to expect when he handed her a neatly wrapped gift box. It was too big to be jewelry; Joe wasn't the kind for such gifts anyway. That was Davis' thing. Her curiosity was too great to wait any longer and she ripped it open. The inside of the box confused her even more. Carefully she reached inside and took out three photo albums. She opened the first and for just a moment her heart stopped beating. She was looking at a squeaking red version of herself in her mother's arms. She turned over the next pages and there she was with her parents, with Casey. Not too long ago she had thought all of these pictures lost. Some of these she didn't even remember.

"Oh Joe," she choked out and looked at him. His smile had turned into something else; he was more serious, clearly affected by this as well. "this is the most beautiful gift."

"Look at the other ones." He told her gently and so Helen opened the next one. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to cry or laugh; she was still a child in these pictures, but there was Joe as well. And Brian. Page after page showed her growing up with the Hackett brothers, proved how she changed into the woman she was today. Helen Chappell. Her tears were blurring her vision as she opened the third album. On the first page were her and Joe on their wedding day and then – nothing.

"Why – why's there only one picture?" she asked looking at him.

"I thought we'd save it for… you know, pictures of our children." Joe admitted almost shyly. Quickly, Helen walked around the counter and threw herself into Joe's arms. Only then did she let go of all her tears. His strong arms surrounded her like a shield and kept prying eyes away. He let her break down right there.

"Thank you so much," she sobbed against his chest, "Thank you for giving me back… part of me."

"I wish I could return everything you've lost, Helen. Your journals, your bits and pieces you loved so much. This is – this is all I have. Your parents were a great help, too." Helen chuckled against him. She wasn't sure he even realized what a great gift he'd given her.

"I love you so much, Joe. I never thought I'd see these pictures again. There are things… I know there are things that'll never be replaced, but this – this is- you know!" She hit him, because her emotions made it impossible for her to continue talking. He smiled at her and took her back into his arms.

"I know," he said simply, "I know."

**END**


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